| Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter WEEK #4 June 20-26, 2021 If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com. In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. The information provided here is also published each week on our website. **Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with additional information on our website under CSA INFO or under RECIPES. THIS WEEK’S SHARE FAVA BEANS: also called faba bean, horse bean, or broad bean; the pod is inedible raw and looks like a large bean pod; the bean seed resembles a lima bean with a tart, pungent flavor; fresh fava beans should be shelled from pod if skin seems tough, but bean seed can be eaten raw. The pod when young can be cooked, but when mature and firmer, the bean is the edible part. See recipes below: -To skin fava beans: Blanch for 1 minute, then drain and cool. With your thumbnail, pull open the sprout end and squeeze the bean out of its skin. This link shows 5 ways to prepare favas: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-fantastic-ways-to-cook-fava-beans-190674 -How to use: Stew skinned beans in a little butter, oil or cream seasoned with savory, thyme or sage. Sauté with other vegetables and toss with pasta. Good in soups. Lots of recipes on the Internet! -How to store: Store fresh, unshelled beans in the refrigerator up to a week; once shelled, blanched and skinned, favas can be frozen in plastic containers for longer storage; shelled bea ns are best used within a few days. See “Beans” for recipes in the A to Z Cookbook, if you have it, and also in this newsletter. Delicious! RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves. -How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods. -How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; high in vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, and iron; known as an anti-cancer vegetable. -How to use: use raw, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc. -How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week. NAPA CABBAGE: crinkly, thickly veined leaves, which are cream-colored with celadon green tips; unlike the strong-flavored waxy leaves on round cabbage heads, these are thin, crisp, and delicately mild; good source of vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium. -How to use: use raw, saute, bake, or braised; common in stir-fries and main ingredient in traditional kimchi; also eaten raw as a wrap for pork or oysters; the outer, tougher leaves are used in soups. -How to store: refrigerate, tightly wrapped, up to 5 days. COLLARD GREENS: dark-green, flat, large leaf; may be substituted for kale or other hearty greens recipes; use large leaf rolled up as a wrap and stuff with vegetables or hummus. -How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking. -How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week. GARLIC SCAPES: slender green stems with a slight bulge at the bottom (resemble chives, except for the bulge a nd often curled); the flower top of a garlic plant; tender and milder in flavor than mature garlic, but can be substituted for garlic cloves in recipes. Use this link for garlic scape recipes: http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/3774/GARLIC%20SCAPES%207%20Great%20Ideas.doc). -How to use: mild garlic flavor, so delicious chopped in salads, roasted, and sauteed. -How to store: put in refrigerator in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. LETTUCE: rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C; you will receive either Red or Green Leaf. -How to use: raw in salads or (believe it or not!) use in soups. -How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days. POTATOES: You will receive any of the following “old buddy” certified organic, storage potatoes. from Wayward Seed Farm in Ohio such as Crimson King (Attractive, oval tubers with red skin and red flesh; good for baking, boiling, roasting, or frying) or All Blue (deep blue skin and flesh; moist texture; perfect in salads, baked, or boiled) *Interesting note: Most blue fleshed cultivars contain 90 times more antioxidants than white tubers, and the antioxidants in potato tubers are enhanced by cooking them.) These “old buddies” potatoes have been over-wintered in optimum storage conditions; possibly slightly less firm and slightly more sweet than a new potato, but good for cooking as suggested above. -How to store: keep in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 pe rcent humidity RADISHES (Bacchus): stunning, purple, round radish with white inner flesh. Very good flavor and not too hot. -How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; radish greens are delicious in soups or stir-fries and are an excellent source of vitamins. -How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks. SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): young shoots of green onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants, high in potassium and source of vitamins C and B-6. -How to use: the bulb, flowers, and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor. -How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 5-7 days. UPICK STRAWBERRIES: red, conical fruit with tiny white flowers. GOOD NEWS! There are still plenty of ripe berries out there this week! We are currently very short-staffed, so we can’t pick enough strawberries for all of you. We are offering you another week that you may pick another 2 FREE quarts as part of your share (and you can pick 2 quarts for someone else less able-bodied if you like), if you are able to come to our Honey Bee U-pick site ( 5700 Scio Church Rd.) at the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church Roads in Ann Arbor any day between 8 AM and 7 PM until Sunday, June 27. If you are less able-bodied with an injury or the inability to bend or walk very well, please come to Honey Bee U-pick and kindly request your 2 quarts any day of the week, or you can preorder for pick up at the Farm in Chelsea during Wed. or Friday distributions or at the Washtenaw Food Hub distributions on Wed. or Sat. Unfortunately we can’t deliver preorders to any other sites due to lack of refrigeration. Extra quarts for U-pick are $4/qt, $32/flat or $3.50/lb and Already Picked are $5/qt or $40/flat (8 trays). -How to use: excellent raw, juicing, jam, pie, sorbet, in desserts -How to store: Do not wash until you are ready to consume them. Place them on a paper towel in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: a bunch of white salad turnips with round, s mooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, and delicious raw!) and greens are edible! -How to use: greens good in salads and soups and can be steamed or sauteed with leeks; roots can be roasted, steamed, or sauteed. -How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last up to 1-2 weeks in refrigerator. ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please let us know of changes in pick up days or locations if you will be out of town for the 4th of July weekend. Also keep in mind that Pick Up Rescheduling needs to be made within the same week (Sun.-Sat.). All changes can be made yourself on your Member Dashboard before Sunday at midnight for the following week, or you can email us with your request using specific dates and locations. Safe travels!! 2. WEEDIN G VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We really are shorthanded with our crew right now, so we have many weeds to pull! If you are interested in helping out–even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you if you are able to help in any way! 3. STRAWBERRIES ARE READY! See above for details about Strawberries in “This Week’s Share”. We will continue to have “already picked” strawberries at Tantre Farm on Wednesday (10 AM- 7 PM) and Friday (2 PM – 7 PM) or the Washtenaw Food Hub on Saturday (9 AM – 12 PM) for $5/quart or 40/flat (8 qts). Just a reminder that there will be no you-pick strawberries at Tantre Farm this year, but rather at a new location called “Honey Bee U-pick” (See details above). We will provide buckets for picking and bags or cardboard trays for you to transport berries home or you may provide your own. 4. STILL PLENTY OF BOXES AVAILABLE FOR OUR IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA THIS WEEK: Please feel free also to sign up for our weekly, collaborative CSA share if you would like to supplement your box or give it as a gift. The menu is updated on our website every Monday – Wednesday http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up this week! 5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: Please use your Member Dashboard to schedule Holds or Pick up Location Changes. Please let us know if there are any problems with Rescheduling. *Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time) *MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 10 AM (SARA there the whole time) *Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in) *Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE will be there the whole time) *Pure Pastures (We d.) (limited site) —10 AM to 5 PM (JESSICA there from 9 AM – 11 AM) *Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in) *Community High School (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time) *Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (RYAN and Staff there the whole time) *Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB and staff there the whole time) *Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time) *RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (DEBRA is there the whole time) REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM by Richard & Deb It has been a very pleasant week to sit underneath the old hickory tree and welcome people to the new strawberry patch at Honey Bee U-Pick on Scio Church Road. The berries have been ripening with the warm sun until they are very sweet these past few weeks and now this cooler wet weather has given them a new life , which has extended into a nother week of picking! Strawberries are a very short season with usually 2 to 3 weeks of good picking. We are really looking forward to our CSA members getting another week of picking berries if you are interested. If you are unable to pick due to physical difficulties, please let us know so that we can have them ready for you at Honey Bee U-pick, Tantre Farm, or the Washtenaw Food Hub. What a joy and a delight it has been to share and see the excited faces of young and old who gather these red rubies that will be transformed into jam jars and freezer bags for abundant and continuous enjoyment of summer throughout the winter! Those of you who haven’t made it yet, hopefully you can come to 5700 Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor any day this week between 8 AM and 7 PM. It is a special rite of summer to come to a berry patch and eat the sweetness that the earth offers us. Thank you for sharing the harvest with us! RECIPES FRESH STRAWBERRY DRESSING (from www.eatingwell.com) 1 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp almond oil or canola oil Place strawberries, vinegar, pepper, sugar and salt in a blender or food processor; process until pureed, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add oil and process until smooth. GADEER’S FAVA BEAN RECIPE A traditional Mediterranean recipe. Adjust ingredients to taste. 1-2 qts fava beans with pods 3 cloves garlic or 3 summer onions, chopped 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled 1/4 cup olive oil Prepare fava pods for cooking, but remove “string” on edge of pod by grasping stem part with a knife and pulling “stringy” part of the pod off. Chop beans in 1-inch chunks (shell and beans together). Heat olive oil in pot and add the beans. Stir occasionally on low heat. When the beans begin to water, add garlic, cilantro, and lemon. Beans are ready when they turn a more brownish-green. Enjoy! GARLIC SCAPE-KALE PESTO Makes about 1 1/2 cups of pesto 1 cup garlic scapes (about 8-9 scapes) cut into 1/4-inch slices 3-5 leaves kale or collards 1/3 cup walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts (toasting these adds a nice twist) 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp salt Black pepper, to taste Place scapes, kale, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind until well combined and somewhat smooth but not purely pureed. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated but there is still some “chunkiness”. Transfer mix to a mixing bowl. Add Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. NAPA CABBAGE SALAD (from www.allrecipes.com) Serves 6 1 head Napa cabbage 1 bunch minced green onions< br>1/3 cup butter 1 (3 oz) package ramen noodles, broken 2 Tbsp sesame seeds 1 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup cider vinegar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup white sugar 2 Tbsp soy sauce Finely shred the head of cabbage; do not chop. Combine the green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the crunchies: melt the butter in a pot. Mix the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds into the pot with the melted butter. Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake the crunchies in the preheated 350 degrees oven, turning often to make sure they do not burn. When they are browned remove them from the oven. Make the dressing: in a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool. Combine dressing, crunchies, and cabbage immediatel y before serving. Serve right away or the crunchies will get soggy. |
Tantré Farm
Ecologically-Grown Produce – Chelsea, MI
Tantré Farm
Mission Statement
Tantré Farm’s mission is to produce and distribute fresh produce, while serving as an educational, sustainable, and social network for our surrounding community. We hope to achieve this mission through our CSA, Farmers’ Markets, Farm-to-School program, local stores, local restaurants, schools, and other community connections.
Our goals at Tantré Farm are to produce fresh, healthy foods for the local community, provide quality of life for the farmer, and sustain economic viability for the farm with care and respect for nature’s diversity.